The demand, a powerful statement that the ANC no longer backs the President, was the culmination of a meeting that stretched into the early hours of Tuesday morning at which top ANC officials failed to persuade Zuma to step down immediately.
Zuma must now decide whether to bow to the party's demand -- which has no constitutional effe, or cling on to power and face a vote of no confidence in parliament organized by opposition parties.
The recall forces Zuma into a corner, as the ANC holds power in Parliament and without overwhelming party support, Zuma will lose a subsequent confidence vote.
Although a vote is scheduled for February 22 but opposition politicians were also pushing for the vote to happen this week.
The ANC's announcement follows weekend meetings between Zuma and his Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, who took the reins as ANC leader in December.
Ramaphosa mentioned on Sunday that the uncertainty over Zuma's future had damaged the ANC, which led South Africa out of apartheid and into a new era.
Zuma, 75, had clung to power despite being mired in a slew of corruption scandals and survived opposition parties' attempts to oust him. His ability to survive them earned him the nickname "Teflon President."
Zuma faces more than 780 allegations of corruption relating to a 1990s arms deal. Zuma denies all the corruption allegations made against him.
CNN
